Author Notes: I love to come up new ideas for dumplings. There are so many variations you can explore by just changing the stuffing, or even the wrapper. By simply changing the wrapper base from wheat flour to rice flour changes the whole experience, and of course the stuffing can be anything you imagine. Dumplings can be Chinese, Japanese, or even American, European or African. There is no end to the combinations.

This time, however, after some experimenting, I decided to combine a Vietnamese twist on a traditional pork shu mai filling with a unique hybrid flour/rice wrapper to make a Vietnamese style shu mai.

I actually started by comparing three different versions of a suitable wrapper using only ingredients that are easily found in U.S. supermarkets. The first was a traditional Chinese style, using only all-purpose flour. The second was a mixture of rice flour and potato starch that gave the papers a slightly more Vietnamese flavor. They were really tasty right after I cooked the dumplings but because of the starch, they hardened quickly when they cooled. Finally, I settled on a mixture of all-purpose flour and rice flour together. The papers have an interesting texture from the rice flour but they hold up well on the table, or even the next day.

I have step-by-step photos on how to form the shu mai dumplings on my website (http://www.cuisinivity.com/recipe/archive/appetizer/viet_shumai.php) if you want an illustration of the written instructions below. - yuko - yuko

Food52 Review: As we put together yuko's beautiful little dumplings, we were struck by how satisfying it was to replicate a dish we'd eaten scores of times in restaurants, but never gotten around to making at home. Oh, the sense of accomplishment we felt tucking the gorgeous nuggets of filling into the delicate, homemade dumpling wrappers, and then gingerly gathering the edges together! The steamed shu mai, filled with a fragrant, lemongrass-spiked mix of shrimp and pork, are tender and light, and the tangy, hot dipping sauce is a great counterbalance. We were able to coax 18 dumpling skins from the dough, so you may want to double the recipe in order to use up all the filling. - A&M - The Editors

Makes 24

for Shu Mai

1/3cup minus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

5teaspoons rice flour

1ounce boiling water

1/2teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2pound ground pork (not lean)

1/4pound cleaned uncooked shrimp ..... cut into small pieces

3/4teaspoon grated garlic cloves

1teaspoon grated ginger

1/4 small onion ..... chopped

1tablespoon cilantro ..... finely chopped

1teaspoon sugar

1tablespoon fish sauce

2teaspoons lemongrass ..... finely chopped (optional)

3tablespoons potato starch (or corn starch)

fresh red chile ..... thinly sliced

cilantro leaves

Dipping Sauce

2tablespoons fish sauce

1tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1tablespoon water

1 gallic clove ..... minced

1teaspoon fresh red chile pepper ..... minced

Start with the wrapper. In a bowl, combine flour and rice flour. Add boiling water and oil then mix quickly with a fork. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball and knead it until it is smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl. Use your hands to blend the mixture until the meat becomes sticky.

Divide the meat mixture into 24 even pieces and roll each piece into a small ball. Set aside on a baking sheet.

Roll the dough on a floured surface into a long log and cut into 24 pieces. Keep the pieces under plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.

Take one piece of dough and roll it into a 3-inch circle. Put the wrapper on your thumb and index finger and put one of the small balls of meat on top. Slowly push down the shu mai into the hole between your thumb and index finger to wrap the wrapper around the meat ball. Push the edges of the wrapper inward in small folds covering the top edges of the meat. Some meat at the top should remain exposed. Put the shu-mai on a floured plate or tray and cover with plastic wrap. Continue this process for the rest of the dumplings.

Before steaming, tap some water around the folded edges of the wrapper with your fingertips to help keep them from drying out. (If the wrapper is still moist already, skip it.) Steam the dumplings in a steamer on high heat for 6-7 minutes. Take one piece out of the steamer at the 5-minutes mark to confirm the meat is cooked through.

When they are cooked, garnish the top with fresh red chile and cilantro leaves.

Mix all ingredients for the dipping sauce and serve on the side with the shu mai. Other condiments such as sweet chili sauce or soy sauce are good to serve with them as well.

I made these last night and they were delicious! I did not double the dough but wish I had. Luckily, I had some gyoza wrappers left over in my freezer that I used up. I served them as an appetizer before lemongrass pork banh mi. What a great dinner!

Made these for supper tonight! Turned out great!!
I doubled the dough as A&M suggested, and I'm sure glad I did. I also had to add extra water to try and get the elastic quality to the dough. It must be a learned skill to get the wrappers so thin. I am excited to try again.
The flavors were awesome, and it was the recipe that finally forced me to buy a bamboo steamer!
Thanks so much!!

I loved these! I didn't have the time to make my own dough (next time) but the filling is fantastic. I made a batch this weekend and, just like another commenter, meant to freeze a bunch, and instead ate them all! I'll have to make a double batch soon to freeze. Such a flavorful filling, really loved it.

These look terrific. I'm having a friend for dinner and I think this might make a fun meal and evening activity. Anyone have any good suggestions for what to pair with this, as I fear I can't serve shumai alone.

How about green papaya salad or cucumber salad or Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll which you can serve with same dipping sauce? Serve with rice (if you cook rice with some lemon grass, that makes even better!) with some fresh herbs and sriracha on top?

Yuko, this is so gorgeous. I wanted to ask if there is a vegetarian version of these. My husband doesn't eat meat and while I think there is really no substitute for shrimp and pork in shumai, let me know if you have any ideas.

Thank you CalcuttaChow! I can suggest to use a "firm" tofu. You put the tofu on the plate and warp with kitchen towel. Then put some heavy item like a fry pan. Wait for 30 minutes or more to get rid of water. Use your hand and mix with rest of the ingredients in the recipe. Don't forget to add starch. It will be very light and fluffy shu mai. I hope this helps.

I love, love, love shu mai. Like Amanda and Merrill, though, I never thought of them as something I would, or even could, make. Your instructions are so precise and clear that I might just try. Thank you.